In many parts of the world, there are four seasons in a year—spring, summer, fall and winter—and with each passing season, you can see signs in nature pointing to the next season to come. For example, when winter is approaching, the air gets increasingly colder; the trees are barren; the days get shorter; and eventually, snow begins to fall.

Just as we can discern the seasons of the calendar year, children of God must be able to discern the spiritual season that is upon us with the help of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was on Earth, a group of men once asked Him to show them a sign from Heaven; but Jesus didn’t give them the answer they were expecting. Instead, He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? (Matthew 16:2,3).

Child of God, do you know that the coming of the Lord is nigh at hand? The signs of Jesus’ return are all around us more than ever before. Do you know what those signs are, and have you taken the time to study them?

Jesus Told About the End-time Signs

The disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of His return and the end of the world; and He answered, Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (Matthew 24:5-7,11,12).

Later in that same chapter, Jesus said, Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors (Matthew 24:32,33). If you can discern through signs on a fig tree that summer is nigh, you, as a child of God, must be able to discern through the signs of the times that the Lord’s coming is nigh.

More End-Time Signs from the Word

The Lord told Daniel the prophet about the end times saying, Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12:4). Look at all the knowledge men and women have today. For thousands of years, knowledge increased only incrementally; but within the past 100 to 120 years, knowledge has increased dramatically.

Cars, planes and trains enable people to run to and fro across the Earth like never before. Today’s technologies like radio, television, cell phones, satellites and the internet make it easy for people to connect with one another all over the world.

Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the Apostle Paul was given signs of Jesus’ return. He wrote, This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (II Timothy 3:1-5).

Paul went on to say, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (II Timothy 3:13). For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (II Timothy 4:3,4). All of these verses perfectly describe our society and its people today.

Recognize This Hour

Spiritual darkness will continue to get worse as we draw closer to the midnight hour. Are you in a spiritual slumber; or are you wide-awake, alert and discerning the end-time signs around you?

You must be wide-awake because when Jesus returns for His Bride, the spiritual season will instantly change. The Holy Ghost dispensation will end, and the Earth will be turned over to the Antichrist and the powers of darkness for seven years of tribulation like this world has never seen before.

You must recognize the signs around you and know it is time to bring in the spiritual harvest just as farmers know when it is time to harvest their fields. You must continue to work until the spiritual day ends and night falls upon this civilization. Jesus said, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:4,5). We must be lights of truth and co-workers with the Holy Spirit in the harvest fields of God.

The Significance of Ruth’s Story

The book of Ruth is a type and shadow of today, and it gives a clear picture of the spiritual season we are now in. Naomi was a Jew who had left her homeland of Israel due to famine and had gone with her husband and sons to live in Moab. Naomi’s two sons grew up and married Moabite girls; and after years had passed, Naomi’s husband and her two sons died.

Naomi then decided to return to Israel, but she tried to convince her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab with their families. One of them decided to do that, but Ruth was determined to leave everything behind and go with Naomi to the land of her God. She knew she would be separating from her family, her friends, her traditions and her homeland; but she declared to Naomi, Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God (Ruth 1:16).

When they arrived in Israel, it was harvest time; and since they needed food, Naomi sent Ruth into the fields to glean what the harvest workers had left behind. While Ruth was gleaning, Boaz, a wealthy relative of Naomi, saw Ruth. He had great compassion, and he told her to glean only in his fields.

In this story, Naomi is a type of the Holy Spirit; Boaz is a type of Jesus, and Ruth is a type of the Bride of Christ. Naomi sent Ruth to gather a harvest from the fields of Boaz just as the Holy Ghost sends forth the Bride today to reap a harvest of souls in the fields of Jesus.

Handfuls on Purpose

Just as Boaz gave Ruth great favor, Jesus is giving the Bride great favor to come into His fields and reap His harvest for Him. He is pouring out to her spiritual blessings, physical blessings, financial blessings and blessings to cover every one of her needs. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Boaz commanded his harvest workers to leave handfuls on purpose for Ruth to gather, and Jesus seeks to leave handfuls on purpose for His Bride as she gleans in His fields. Those handfuls on purpose are souls; but even though those handfuls are there for you, the task won’t be easy. You still have to go into the harvest fields and work to collect those souls for the Lord’s honor and glory; and you must never let self, the devil or any person rob you of the Lord’s blessings and the souls He has marked for you to win.

Those harvest fields of the Lord belong to you because you are an heir of God and an equal heir with Jesus Christ. Paul said, And if children [of God], then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). What blessings and benefits are yours, yet there are many souls that still need to be won before the harvest goes to waste.

The Value of Souls

Nothing is dearer to the heart of God than souls. Thousands of years ago, He gave the greatest gift ever given when He sent Jesus to the human race; but then, He had to watch as most people of that day despised, rejected and cast aside His great gift of love as if it was worthless. Think about how much it must have hurt God to watch His only Son be tortured and beaten and then die on the Cross, but He allowed it to happen for souls.

Jesus is the one who willingly agreed to be that sacrifice. He said, No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself (John 10:18). Souls meant more to Jesus than all the wealth of the world. He said, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)? Jesus gave up all of Heaven for souls. He left His Father’s side and laid aside His power and glory to come into a world of sin, degradation and devil bondage. Then at Calvary, He shed His holy, divine blood for souls.

Paul Gave His All for Souls

Friend, how much are you willing to give for souls? The sacrifice God and His Son made can never be repaid. You could give all of your money, everything you own and even sacrifice your body; but it wouldn’t be enough. What you can do is present your body as a living sacrifice unto the Lord. Paul said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1).

Paul didn’t say it is an extraordinary service; he said it is your reasonable service to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord every day. You are to submit in total obedience to His divine will at all times to help bring in His harvest and win the lost at any cost. That has been the motto of this Jesus ministry since 1954.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you (II Corinthians 12:15); and he did just that. Paul recapped his sufferings saying, Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness (II Corinthians 11:24-27). Paul spent and spent for souls until he finally laid down his life.

It Is Time to Work

The hour is late, and it’s almost midnight. Jesus warned, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass (Luke 21:36). He also said, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Revelation 3:3). Friend, we don’t know the hour or the day of Jesus’ return, but we do know the season; and that season is now.

Your time to work and bring in the harvest of souls becomes more limited with each passing day, so you must work while there is still time. Paul said, Always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58).

There is a price to pay and sacrifices to be made to work in the Lord’s harvest fields and reap souls for His Kingdom, but it also brings great joy. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:5,6).

You must be a profitable servant of the Lord so when Jesus returns, you will hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:23). If you are a slothful, unprofitable servant who thinks only of yourself and neglects your responsibilities to the Lord, you will hear Him declare, Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).

Receive the Gift of Jesus

Friend, you must let the Holy Spirit shake out all the drowsiness and lukewarmness from your spirit. You must hear the Lord knocking on your door and let Him in every day to fellowship with you. If you are not ready for the Lord’s return, it’s time to let the power in the blood of Jesus cleanse you and make you brand new.

Friend, now is your opportunity to open your heart’s door and receive the gift of salvation by saying the sinner’s prayer with me. Say, Oh, God, I confess all of my sins before you. I am so sorry, God, for failing you, but I have come home; and I will serve you for the rest of my life. I believe the power in the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come into my heart. If you meant that prayer, you now have the gift of eternal life abiding within you through the divine blood of Jesus.

Receive Healing Through the Blood

When Jesus died, it was a two-fold atonement. The power in His divine blood gives eternal life to your soul and healing to your body for all sicknesses, diseases and afflictions.

If you have a need in your life or are sick in body, let’s take your request before the Lord in faith believing and let all the benefits of the divine blood work in you right now. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I bring those who are sick in body and those who are in great need before you. Lay a healing hand upon each one. In the holy, blood name of Jesus, heal them now. Let your healing virtue flow to them through the blood of Jesus and make them well from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet for your honor and glory. And, Lord, make each one a witness and a shining light for you in this dark, midnight hour. Amen.

Friend, watch every improvement; and give God all the honor, praise and glory for what He has done for you. Then send your testimony to testimonies@ernestangley.org, and we will rejoice with you.